Alchemists Are Us
ment in alchemy during their long and productive lives New Exhibit Shows provided a bridge to modern chemistry. In Chemistry World magazine (UK), December the Influence of 2004, Vikki Allen writes, “The term alchemy originally referred to an ancient art of spiritual purification and Alchemy on Modern transformation; a way for people to connect with the divine spirits. Although the origins of alchemy Chemistry vary across the world, in the middle-ages the term became associated with man’s desire to harness nature. Alchemists would strive to turn lead into gold by Neil Gussman and Michal Meyer and to produce the elusive ‘elixir of youth.’ “The alchemist’s profession was a mystery and the ry as we might to distance ourselves from public viewed it with a mixture of fear and wonder. The Talchemy and its centuries-old bad reputation, alchemical symbols used at the time were unrecogniz- the truth is that these early empiricists laid able to outsiders and the Church discredited the work. the foundations of modern chemistry. Many experi- But the force of human nature meant the public still mental methods and lab practices started life with the wanted what the alchemists were working towards; alchemists and live on, with refinements, to this day. endless riches and eternal life.” The public image of Distillation, purifying metals, isolating elements and chemistry in the 21st century is hardly better than this compounds, and medical analysis were first practiced image of alchemy. The public wants the clean water, by alchemists, and then carried into the modern world abundant energy, and advanced materials chemistry as experimentalists began to call themselves chemists. can and does deliver, but is generally afraid of the word Chemical. Obviously, some of the bad reputation of alchemy is deserved, but Allen reflects an outdated understand- ing of what alchemy was about. The best alchemists were not mystical dreamers, but skilled bench chem- ists. Painters would go to them for pigments, the ill for medicines, and mine owners for better acids to dissolve ores. The chemistry of today finds its origins in the alchemical labs of the Middle Ages and Early Modern periods. Alchemy is a natural starting point for anyone inter- ested in the history of science. Alchemy’s goals were both practical (better medicine) and esoteric (creating the philosopher’s stone that would transmute lesser metals into gold). Chemists have kept many of the practical goals, but abandoned the quest for the phi- losopher’s stone in the 18th century. Alchemy can be a dirty business—just ask Isaac Newton. He began one of his alchemical recipes with “Take of Urin one Barrel.” He then instructs the owner of the newly acquired barrel to let the urine ferment for three months in the summer. Imagine being Isaac The Alchemical Quest, on display at Chemical Newton’s neighbor: The glory! The smell! Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia until 7 December, This story gets a laugh from people who’ve never highlights the practical goals of alchemy. The exhibit encountered the history of science. Laughter is a good features rare alchemical books of the 16th, 17th, and place to begin the story of chemistry; humor engages 18th centuries drawn from CHF’s collections. The in a way that information and argument do not and exhibit also highlights two fathers of modern science, provides a starting point for deeper exploration. Such Robert Boyle and Isaac Newton. Their avid involve- as: Why did Newton want a barrel of urine? His recipe
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November 2012.indd 4 10/19/2012 11:51:27 AM was for making phosphorous, which had recently been discovered by a 17th-century ex-soldier and alchemist named Hennig Brandt, who had been trying to make the philosopher’s stone. The glowing substance dis- tilled from urine (white phosphorous) must at first have filled Brandt with hopes of success. Such stories take us into older understandings of matter, a time before elements as we know them. Newton’s alchemical work was rediscovered in the 19th century and the discoverers were horrified torical sleuths have begun working out the chemistry to find their scientific hero had feet of clay. By that behind these images. For example, an old alchemical time, alchemy was considered a historical dead end, book in our collection includes 12 images and accom- a wrong turn along the highway of progress. At best, panying text that are the steps or “keys” to making it could be considered a distraction from real science; the philosopher’s stone. The first three keys have been at worst, it was pure charlatanry, certainly not worthy decoded by Lawrence Principe, a trained chemist and of practice by a scientific hero. Since then, historians a historian of science at Johns Hopkins University. For have rediscovered the common heritage of alchemy example, the third key shows a dragon in the fore- and chemistry, which were inseparable in the 17th cen- ground and a rooster being eaten by a fox which is tury. A new term, “chymistry,” is now used to describe being eaten by another rooster. the chemical practices of that time. It’s a lovely image, but where’s the chemistry? In If you’re looking for a moral to this story, here’s this case, the dragon refers to a red crystal known as one: Progress is not a straight line from some moment dragon’s blood. Once you realize that sun indicates in the past to now. Otherwise, enjoy the story. As to gold in the alchemical understanding, it doesn’t take where Newton or his recipe followers got their barrel long to go from rooster to sunrise (crowing rooster) of urine, we have no idea. One colleague suggested to sun to gold. The fox represents certain acids dis- that Newton would have parked his barrel outside a solving the gold and the rooster eating the fox shows pub and waited. Modern chemists can breathe a sigh a circular process. So gold is being dissolved and re- of relief: They can simply order their supplies. dissolved by certain acids (what we know as nitric and The history of alchemy is the history of chemistry. hydrochloric). Chlorine (only discovered as a gas in the The beautiful woodcuts and engravings found in the 18th century) builds up and the gold volatilizes into exhibit’s books show visitors this strange, intriguing, gold chloride, which is a lovely ruby red color. and beautiful chapter in the history of chemistry. An The chemistry that goes on in this gold chloride accompanying digital book display interprets many reaction was only worked out in the 19th century. Not of these evocative yet difficult to understand images. bad for the shabby misunderstood alchemists of old. Dragons, roosters, flocks of birds, kings, queens, and Perhaps one day historian chemists will unlock the rest hermaphrodites are translated into modern chemical of the keys. Only one thing is certain, there’ll be no processes. Alchemists didn’t want to let just anybody philosopher’s stone at the end of it all. Though a little into their secrets, so they hid them in plain sight, in bit of recognition for the triumphs of alchemy would complex word and picture allegories understandable be appreciated. only to other alchemists. CHF gratefully acknowledges the generous sup- When alchemy faded into chemistry, the meaning port provided by the National Endowment for the behind these images was lost. But modern-day his- Humanities, Kathryn Hach-Darrow, and the ExxonMobil Chemical Company for The Alchemical Quest.
Michal Meyer
Parts of the article were previously published on the CHF blog “Periodic Tabloid.”
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